A Piece of My Heart, Dedicated to You
by Allie711
Summary: This is the very first volume of Konoha High: the series.Volume1 Naruto & Hinata A Piece of My Heart, Dedicated to You. Adapted from Hi no Kuni no Konohagakure Kougakkou Fire Country's Hidden Leaf Village's High School . Can Naruto learn to love Hinata?
1. A New Start

**Author's words**: Whew…..finally my first "official" fanfic! I wrote the new characters' profile before, but that's not much of a fanfic, now right? So! I came up with this story! It's not just NaruHina, but lots of other pairings as well! All the boys are gonna have someone they like, I guess…..so there's gonna be some new unfamiliar characters here….if you want to know their ninja stories, refer to: _**Naruto Shippuden 2-New Characters-(Character's Name**_). Until then, enjoy this story chapter by chapter, volume by volume everyone! :)

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

Allie711 proudly presents

**Hi no Kuni no Konohagakure Kougakkou**

**(Fire Country's Hidden Leaf Village's High School)**

Konoha High the series

_**Volume 1: A Piece of My Heart, Dedicated to You**_

Starring Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuuga

CHAPTER 1:

A NEW START

_Chirp, Chirp. _

It is a peaceful and fresh morning as usual. The birds sang and chirped as the crimson-orange beam of dawn sunlight basked in through the huge opened window. The smell of fresh air and the gentle morning wind blow greeted the sleeping boy's face.

The blond boy is still secured in his sleep, drooling as he dreamt on, giving him a pure, childish face. Naruto is dreaming about Ichiraku, his favorite ramen café, as he sat comfortably in his usual seat and slurping his ramen. He was just about to finish his tenth bowl, when suddenly; a strange noise interrupted him in his sleep.

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. RRRRIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNGGGGGGG._

Naruto's alarm clocked rang loudly beside him that he ended up waking up by shock and fell off his bed. "Ow, ow, ow…..gah….my head…," Naruto complained, rubbing his head at the back. When he recovered, he glared and scowled at his black cat-shaped clock that won't stop ringing; then he smacked the 'off' button on his clock to silence it. "AAAAAARRRGHHH! What is _WRONG_ with you? I wanted to sleep longer! Oh great, now look what you've done! That dream comes only once in my entire life and the chances of it becoming reality….? Uh…..ZERO! And you know what, kitty; it's all because of **YOU**! _**I HATE YOUUUU**_!" Naruto whined loudly, not caring if it's still seven in the morning.

_BAM BAM BAM _

A noise came from below. "What now?" Naruto was getting fed up by the strange noises in the morning that woke him up.

"OY! Fer mah sanity's sake, lad! Whatcher doin', screamin' liker' madman early in da mornin'? Me and mah wife er' sleepin'! Wherecha' think yar livin' in? This is an apartment, so shut yer yappin'!" His old, cranky neighbor screeched.

Oops….guess there are some other people who hate being woken up by some noises….by him. That made Naruto wince and he gulped. _Uh-oh….I'm dead meat…! Gotta make an excuse….think, ya stupid brain! Think!_

"Umm….Uhh…I….s-sorry, sir…I was…umm…angry…at my…cat clo-"

"I dun care about yer cat, lad! If yar gonna keep this up, then throw da cat outta 'ere, for sanity's sake!"

And that was his last sentence. _Ugh….mental reminder….DON'T get angry to the clock, even if it rings like crazy. Even if it woke me up late….Late…._

Naruto took a glance at his wall clock and his eyes almost bulged out of its socket.

"SEVEN-FORTY FIVE? SCHOOL STARTS AT EIGHT AND I'M GONNA BE LATE FOR THE FIRST DAY OF HIGH SCHOOL!" he screamed, once again not caring about the time nor the lecture he just got.

"OY, DIDN'T AH JUST TOLDCHA TA SHUT YER YAPPIN', LAD?"

But Naruto didn't care anymore. He couldn't. He didn't brush his teeth, he didn't take a shower and he didn't eat breakfast. He even forgot to change his underwear. There's no time for that. He just changed to his school uniform, grabbed his school bag and his favorite orange and black jacket, and zoomed of his apartment in lightning speed.

_Gaaahh..! This is bad! Very, very bad! If Grandma Tsunade found out I'm late again…..especially at the first day of High School….I'm dead! _

Right now, Naruto's top priority is to get to school ON TIME. He just had to.

"Good morning, Hanabi-chan," Higashi greeted his youngest sister gently while sipping his tea.

"Yaaawnn…..Hunh? Oh, good morning, Higa-nii-san," Hanabi greeted him back sleepily.

"You just woke up? Wow, I envy you. The elementary school sure does go easy on you kids," Higashi said absentmindedly.

As if realizing what just happened, Hanabi blinked her huge pale lavender eyes twice and said, "Um…..where's father?"

"H-he's s-still overseas…..I-I'm afraid y-you will h-have t-to go to s-school b-by s-school bus…..," Hinata answered softly.

Hanabi shrugged nonchalantly and replied, "Okay, Hina-nee-chan. No problem, it doesn't do any harm. Itadakimasu."

It's morning in the Hyuuga household, the richest family in the whole country. This place is also the sunniest place in the entire state, too. The sunbeam that pours down is warm and welcoming.

Glancing at the clock, Neji implied, "We have to go."

Neji rarely talks, so Hinata took this as a warning.

"H-Higa-nii-san, N-Neji-nii-san is r-right…..we'd b-better g-go now….," Hinata half-said half-whispered, only to get a frightening glare from her older cousin. She gulped and made a mental note not to talk—er, stammer- right after Neji talked. But turns out Neji wasn't glaring at her. He was glaring at Hanabi.

"Hanabi-sama, are you going to be alright by your own?" Neji asked.

Now that Hinata thought of it, it wasn't a warning glare, but rather a concerned look.

Once again, Hanabi shrugged and answered, "Sure. It's okay, Neji-nii-san. No problem, it doesn't do any harm."

Higashi smiled at the exact same reply, and shook his head.

"Okay then, I'll go get the car," he said, finishing his green tea.

"G-good b-bye, Hanabi-chan…..t-take…c-care..of y-yourself..," Hinata said her farewell.

Neji bowed, then get out of the door with Hinata.

"I'll pick you up after school, Hanabi-chan. See you later," Higashi gave his youngest sister one last smile, before closing the door gently.

"Okay. Bye. Itterasshai," Hanabi said, a little bit too late, but she doesn't care; and she continued to eat her strawberry jammed toast.

Higashi turned on the car's engine after fastening his seatbelt. Hinata sat in the front seat beside her older brother. And Neji sat alone in the backseat._ Neji-nii-san is the same as usual….it is very…..predictable…_

Hinata sighed softly.

Two minutes after they were off, Hinata thought it was too….eerily quiet, so she touched the car's CD player's "on/off" button. "Hi-Higa-nii-san…, may I..?" she asked gently.

"Of course," Higashi replied with an approving nod and smile.

Hinata smiled back. She loved the way her older brother understands her in her every need, and he will always be there for her; like her very own guardian angel.

And with that, she pushed the "on" button and Ludwig van Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata played softly, making her more relaxed.

After a few minutes later, however, Hinata is starting to fidget her fingers. Higashi noticed her usual antics that usually indicate her nervousness.

"You are nervous for the first day of High School, huh, Hina-chan?" Higashi suddenly asked out of the blue.

"Ahh…ummm….w-w-well….m-maybe…I-I am….a..b-bit….."

"Please don't be. Once you have settled in, it will be easy. Even I went through this, and I survived."

"B-but th-th-that is b-b-because y-y-your former school was a-an….a-all-male school, a-and…and this year, uh….s-s-somehow, umm…P-principal Tsunade s-seemed to uhmm…c-c-come up with an idea t-to…to let…uhh..umm…p-potential girls enter this school…th-thus making it an a-all p-public school, H-higa-nii-san."

"That is true, but you will find friends there, too, Hinata. Of course, even though the number of female is short, but I'm confident you will definitely find good friends. Some female teachers had already accepted teaching here, too. So, it won't be a problem. Besides, here we are!"

Higashi saying "here we are" only made Hinata more nervous.

"Finally," Neji murmured.

"Okay, Hinata-chan, my class is above. So, promise me you'll be okay, at least until lunchtime," Higashi's concerned look on his face made Hinata blamed herself for making others worried about her.

"It's….it is okay, big brother, I…I can manage until l-lunchtime," Hinata gulped, but suddenly feels more confident. But she was shocked the fact that she didn't stammer so much.

After flashing an apologetic smile, Higashi went to the stairs. Neji went up already earlier before Higashi did. But seeing her big brother disappear from her sight, Hinata felt her self-confidence shrink into a teeny-tiny speck of dirt. She was confused. Did she act the confidence out? She was standing there like a statue, mulling over it again and again, until she heard someone call her. "Hina-chan! Oh, Hinata, we've been looking all over for you!" Somehow, Hinata felt that she knows this voice. She turned to see who called her _slowly_…..until…

"Ki-Kirumi! I m-missed you!" Hinata hugged her best friend.

"Yeah, me too," Kirumi giggled. After they released one another, Kirumi turned to her other friends.

"And they missed you over the holidays, too!" she said.

Hinata saw her other friends-Sakura, Yukiko, Ino and Ritsume.

"Well! Looks like it's gonna be a rather fun year!" Ino laughed.

And they all know it.

**So! Did you like this story?**

**Oh, and sorry I made Hinata's POV longer than Naruto's!**

**But don't worry; Naruto is definitely going to make his comeback!**

**The next chapter is guranteed to be more fun than this boring one.**

**But please review! I'll cry if you don't….:( **

**I won't continue if you don't give me reviews…:(**

**One more thing: REVIEWS ARE OPEN, PEOPLE! YAY! :D**

**Next time on chapter 2: The Assembly and the Meeting**

**-Allie711**


	2. The Assembly and The Meeting

**Author's words**: Mwahahaha! I love the feeling when I introduce the characters the first time in a story! It just felt refreshing! And in chapter 2, **EVERYONE** is gonna come outta their shells! And there's finally some progress in "love" with NaruHina!I got a feeling that this is gonna be my favorite chapter among all! So, enjoy this chapter to your fullest! This is a must-read for all Naruto fans, so READ! NOW!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

Allie711 proudly presents

**Hi no Kuni no Konohagakure Kougakkou**

**(Fire Country's Hidden Leaf Village's High School)**

Konoha High the series

_**Volume 1: A Piece of My Heart, Dedicated to You**_

Starring Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuuga

CHAPTER 2:

THE ASSEMBLY AND THE MEETING

_I'm DOOMED! I'm DOOMED for sure! She's….she's gonna KILL me! _

Naruto Uzumaki dashed past a bustling street full of vehicles. He ignored the red traffic light for pedestrians, which signaled they should not walk yet.

_So what? I'm in a hurry after all. There's an exception to that, right?_

One car almost ran over him, but Naruto didn't care and kept on running. Lucky for him, the driver hits the brakes just in time. "OY! Watch it, kid!" the furious driver shouted to him through an open window. "Sorry!" Naruto held up a hand, apologizing without turning or looking back; and kept on running at top speed.

_If Grandma Principal Tsunade finds out I'm late again...especially at the first day of High School...she's gonna TORTURE me!_

The blond teenager whizzed past buildings and streets. He turned left and turned right. He ran as if his life depends on it.

_Geez! Ugh, I hate running as if my life depends on it!...Uh, well...it's the truth anyway. If I'm late, Granny's gonna KILL me...well, literally..._

Finally, he turned left and saw the school entrance.

"Relieeeeeef! Hey, the guys are still coming in! Which means...I'm not late!"

Naruto grinned from ear to ear, realizing his (somewhat miraculous) achievement.

"WOOHOOOO! YEAH! I'm not laaaaaaate! I broke a world record! Yeah! 'Cuz I'm not LATE! I am the champion, I am the champion! I'm no sore loser 'cuz today I'M NOT LAAAA-" Naruto was half-singing, half-screaming with the melody from the song "We Are The Champions" (not to mention he's oblivious to the attention he gains from gawking, pointing and snickering students) when he turned right in one of the school's locker aisle and….

_**BUMP!**_

Naruto bumped into someone. Hard.

Papers and books flew everywhere. Naruto rubbed the bruise on his head. It stings a little.

"Ow….that hurts…," Naruto whined.

"Oh dear….I-I'm v-v-very s-sorry for b-being s-so cl-clumsy….," someone said softly as she tidied her scattered papers and books.

_The one who bumped into me_, Naruto thought angrily.

Naruto opens his eyes to GLARE at HIM, but ends up STARING at HER. She has long, tidy, graceful and well conditioned shiny indigo-midnight bluish hair. Her fringe is neat and well cut, hanging only above her eyebrows. Her uniform is super clean and super tidy, too. In fact, it seems she obeyed and followed each and every one of the school's rules. She's perfect in every angle and every way.

Naruto sent out a low growl. He just remembered that he hates perfect people….or is it himself that he's so spiteful about? _She's perfect…..I hate that. I hate goody-goodies. They're always fussing at such trivial stuff when they should just relax and chill out! Maybe she's a bookworm? They're usually pretty stiff about some stuff and obeyed the lame rules. Wait, maybe she's a nerd? Nah, that's lamer. Guess she's just another stupid rule-obeying-drone._

Naruto smirked at the last one and almost snickered when he caught her mumbling something to herself, until she's done tidying her papers and looked up and made Naruto stare at her once more.

She has the palest lavender eyes that Naruto's eyes had ever set on. She's blushing, which made her seem more docile and demure. Her lips are curled into a shy, yet friendly smile. Naruto could've sworn he could hear the angels' chimes from heaven.

_O….kay…..she's perfect….but she's pretty sweet, too_.

Naruto mentally slapped himself at that one.

_Stupid brain, she's not sweet! She's just another gal I don't care about!_

_What are you saying? She's sweet, get yourself some glasses! Are you blind or something? I mean, LOOK at her!_

_Wait…are you saying you LIKE her?_

_You're crazy!_

_No, I'm serious! Really?_

_I dunno! Don't ask me such stuff!_

'_Cuz…I thought you're the one who sworn you won't like any gals in your pitiful life!_

"SHUT UP!" Naruto yelled, head thumping from the argument going on inside his head.

_Anyway, a GIRL? Wait…a…girl? Hey, what's a GIRL doing in an all guys school? _

Naruto perked up at that idea. And then he scowled, not noticing Hinata's shocked look.

Hinata sighed a sigh of relief. She managed to tidy her papers and books that scattered everywhere on the cold marble floor. "I….I-I'm…s-s-sorr-" Hinata half-whispered, half-mumbled, looking up to apologize. But she didn't finish her apology. She can't. She's tongue-tied the moment she is face-to-face with the person she bumped into. He has spiky, but messy golden blond hair. His eyes has the deepest shade of cerulean sapphire Hinata's eyes had ever laid on. Hinata smiled shyly. The boy seemed distracted. He didn't even DO anything. He just sits there and stares at her. He hasn't even got up from the head-on collision with her. Hinata wonders what he's thinking now. But at least he seems friendly enough...as if fate wants them to be friends, she could actually hear the angels' chimes ringing like crazy. Suddenly Hinata wants to know his name.

After some time that felt FOREVER, he finally spoke. But it's nothing Hinata wanted to hear.

"SHUT UP!" the boy yelled, hands on his head.

Hinata was stunned. She was so shocked. _Wh-wh-what d-did I-I d-d-do…? I…I-I did not e-even say a-anything…_

Hinata's hope of being friends with him cracked a little. Then he perks up, glared at her and scowled. And Hinata's flicker of hope was crushed into bits.

"Hina-chan! So you're here all along?" Kirumi said, as she and Yukiko came to the rescue. "Oh…uh…umm…wh-where is I-Ino-chan a-and the o-others?" Hinata stammered nervously. "They're already at the assembly hall. You didn't hear the warning bell?" Yukiko shrugged. Hinata's eyes widen, and so does the other boy's eyes.

"Th-th-the w-warning b-bell?"

"Well, yeah! All the tenth, eleventh and twelfth grade are summoned to the first day assembly, Hinata. It's always been like that. Y'know…school tradition," Kirumi chimed in. Come to think of it, Hinata overheard Ino and Sakura bickering something about the FDA. That must've been about the First Day Assembly. And when she was concentrating on not being nervous and went to the toilet, Ino told her to meet them at "The FDA spot". But she wasn't listening. She was too scared to listen. And then, when she came out of the toilet only to find out that the halls are clearing, she decided to go find her friends. And that's when she bumped into the blond boy who's currently holding a grudge against her. It fits the definition perfectly. And the "angels' chimes" she had heard before was actually the warning bell. The bell!

Hinata gulped. She did not hear the bell.

Naruto was shocked. But somehow, he can't seem to figure out what's the cause of it. It's either: a.) He did not hear the bell

b.) He just realized that the "angels' chimes" he heard was actually the bell

c.) He ran at top speed and came in to school panting, but he's gonna be late again

d.) He didn't know that there's going to be an assembly today; or

e.) He was surprised to see his elementary school friend again

He guessed that it's all of those mixed into one. "Yu….Yukiko?" Naruto asked, still surprised. Yukiko turned away from Kirumi to look at him, cocking her head as if to say, "Who're you?". After finally recognizing him, she grinned and then nodded. "Naruto, right? Hi!" she chirped. _Funny. No questions there. Yukiko is usually very inquisitive. She would've asked me what I'm doing here. Did something change her over the past three years? Or is there something else? And she said it almost as if she knew I'm going to high school here. _"Aaarghh…..I don't get any of this!" Naruto scratched his head, _FINALLY_ standing up. "Huh? Get what? What do you mean, Naruto?" Yukiko asked, eyeing Kirumi and Hinata, then looked back at Naruto almost instantly.

"First my stupid alarm woke me up late, then my old, cranky neighbor kept lecturing me! I didn't have breakfast but I have to run to school like crazy to avoid being late! When I got to school I wasn't late, but now I am and it's all because of my stupid clumsiness that I bumped into her and now you come to my school and WHY ARE GIRLS HERE ANYWAY? I haven't even take a shower, I haven't brushed my teeth, nor change my underwear! Like, how am I going to impress the girls? Aw, shoot! I just remembered I hate girls! And after school, Granny Tsunade's gonna use ME as her punching bag! This is officially my worst day ever!" Naruto babbled.

"Oookay….that's….gross…Anyway, Hinata, meet my old elementary pal, Naruto Uzumaki. Try not to be afraid of his 'a-little-too-bright' personality. It may seem frightening at first, but he's friendly and doesn't mean any harm, really," Yukiko explained, rolling her eyes.

"Ha-hajimemashite….It is v-very nice t-t-to m-meet y-you, N-na-naruto Uzumaki..," the girl said. "And Naruto, this is Hinata Hyuuga, the second child of the manager to the famous Hyuuga Company. Unlike you, she's sweet, docile, kind, nice, demure and ladylike. So be nice to her or I'll bite youuu!" Yukiko barked playfully. Kirumi giggled at that one. Hinata blushed, redder this time. "Yukiko….you're so cruel…anyway, hajimemashite! Hiya! So you're Hinata? Oh,and sorry for the little trouble I caused earlier! So! How are y-" Naruto didn't have time to finish his sentence, when the bell suddenly rings. "Oh no! That's the bell! Come on, you two! If you want to get to the assembly hall on time, we have to hustle! I hope you don't mind runniiiiiiiiiiiinggg!" Kirumi pulled Hinata and Yukiko away. "G-goodbye!" Hinata arched her head to look at Naruto one last time. And they were gone, leaving Naruto alone. As if realizing what just happened, he himself ran all the way to the assembly hall. Good thing he knows where he's going. _Huh? Why did they leave me alone? Gaahh! I'm gonna get DETENTION after school today! And it's just the FIRST day! _

"Whew…..we made it in time after all!" Kirumi gasped for air. The assembly was just about to begin. "Over there!" Yukiko whispered, pointing to the space beside Ritsume. Ritsume noticed them and waved, as if saying, "You gals! Over here!"

The three girls half-walked half-crouched to the middle of the assembly hall.

"_Ino must have been the one who chose this seat_, " Hinata thought.

It's true. Ino LOVES attention, so she would usually pick a seat in the middle. She would want to hear only the topics that she found interesting, so she would also want to sit near the front. But not too front, otherwise she won't be able to read fashion magazines or paint her nails or text the others under the bleachers if she's bored to death. It's perfectly in the middle. And it turns out Hinata is right.

"Where have you guys been? Yukiko, if you've been here, we could've chosen a front seat! Ino has been nagging me to sit right in the middle!" Ritsume complained, but she smiled. "Oh, chill out, squirrel! If you can't find a way to do that, then shut yourself inside a freezer or something!" Yukiko barked. "Hey, just because your name means snow doesn't mean you can order me to chill out just like that! Oh, I forgot. Yukiko has decided to give up under the mighty Ritsume!" Ritsume barked back. "And just because your name means squirrel doesn't mean you can steal the sweet fruits of MY labor! Oh yeah, isn't stealing sweet fruits is a squirrel's best talent?" Yukiko scowled.

"Hey, didn't you promise me that I am permitted to do that to you once because I bought you a Toblerone chocolate?"

"Oh yeah! I forgot…Truce?"

"Geez!"

Although it may seem like a serious argument, Hinata knows it's not a threat to break up the two. They're a strange pair of friends, even for Hinata. Suddenly, Kirumi leaned in to Hinata's right ear and whispered, "Hey….isn't that Naruto? The one you….uhh….accidentally bumped into earlier today?"

Hinata could feel her heart skipped a beat. She followed Kirumi's pointing finger slowly, until she finally caught sight of Naruto._ H-he seems exhausted…sh-should I g-go over a-and say h-hello?_

But Hinata was saved by a screeching microphone. Almost everyone clamped their ears shut with their hands. Including Hinata and her friends, of course. Hinata noticed a boy with ruffled dark brown hair gestured Naruto come over with, "Yo, doofus! Come on! You want to be used as Tsunade's punching bag?". That's Kiba Inuzuka, Hinata's elementary friend. Naruto went over quickly with a grunt and sat down just in time for the lecture to begin.

_T-thank goodness h-h-he got h-here on t-time_. At least now Hinata can relax a little bit.

_MAAAAN! That was the LAMEST assembly I've ever been to in my entire stinkin' life! _

_I'm frustrated because we all have to listen to Granny Tsunade's "A Fresh Start" rants and then listen to Ibiki's rules this and laws that and Kakashi-sensei's late so we have to wait for 15 minutes before he finally came and even the final part is half useless! In short, this is STUPID!_

The final part involved Tsunade passing out books, class schedules and more reminder of her threats. Oh yeah, and the Head Student Council's elections, too which is due in the next two weeks. Naruto looked at his schedule again.

**MONDAY'S SCHEDULE**

_**08.00-08.30**_** : **Sports and AthleticsGUY

_**08.30-09.00 **_**: **Culture and LiteratureKAKASHI

_**09.00-09.30 **_**: **MusicKURENAI

_**09.30-10.00 **_**: **AccountingASUMA

_**10.00-10.30 **_**: **HistoryYAMATO

_**10.30-11.00 **_**: **Language (English, Japanese, Chinese, French, Spanish)*NIKODA

_**11.00-11.30**_** : **Science**-**ChemistryYUGAO

_**11.30-12.00 **_**: **GeographyHAYATE

_**12.00-12.30 **_**: **Science-BiologySHIZUNE

_**12.30-13.00 **_**: **Science-PhysicsSHIZUKA

_**13.00-13.30 **_**: Lunch period**

_**13.30-14.00 **_**: **Mathematics (Calculus, Algebra, Geometry)IBIKI

_**14.00-14.30 **_**: **Physical Education and HealthJIRAIYA

_**14.30-15.00**_** : **EconomicsEBISU

_**15.00 **_**:** **End of school day**

*** Please choose the course you will take. Inform it to Headmistress Tsunade. Thank you.**

_Man, this is LAAAAME with capital L! This sucks…well, this marks the beginning of "High School Torture for Naruto Uzumaki"….I'm starving…..I can't wait 'till lunchtime…_

_**BRRRRIIIIIINGGGG!**_

And Naruto had to run all the way to his Music class again. (the assembly made Guy's and Kakashi's class cancelled.)

"Good morning, class. I have good news for you. You are not going to study about the theory and the hard stuff. Today, you're just going to relax and let me do all the talking," Kurenai gave Naruto the evil eye. Naruto gulped and stopped chatting with Kiba immediately. He shuddered at the fact that he found out that female teachers are scarier and more picky about their students. He doesn't want to get in her bad book on his first day, so he remained quiet. Hinata is in the class, too. She was genuinely pleased to see Naruto in her class. She knows she may be a little worried about making friends, so she doesn't want to lose Naruto. Right now, her mission is: to befriend Naruto Uzumaki whatever it takes. Kurenai started to introduce the students about the musical instruments in the music room. It's a classic-looking room, usually used for orchestras, and has a rather complete collection of musical instruments. Ritsume is in her class, too. She seemed to be enjoying the lesson. Hinata knows that Ritsume really likes to play her flute and listen to music from her iPod. Ritsume also has a beautiful old music box that she never lets anyone lay a finger on it except for her. Her family is a strict-musician clan. And Ritsume bears that talent, too. Hinata snaps back to attention. She never played any of the musical instruments Kurenai is currently explaining about, so she wants to make sure she knows how to play it. She's getting more and more confused by the minute.

There's nothing really special about accounting (except that when Asuma strolled into the class, he reeks like cigarette), history (learnt about Japan's legendary ninjas, of course. Hinata wished she could be one.), geography (a student has a stomachache, so Hayate made him went to the nurse, but he fell ill, too, so he also went to the nurse along with the boy.) and science. But since it's the first day, language lessons have not yet started. It started next week, so the schedule was moved 30 minutes earlier. Add that spare time with geography (Hayate was ill, class was dismissed earlier, too), and they have one spare hour. Turns out that Naruto is in all of Hinata's classes today, so she was clearly in a good mood when lunch time arrives. After all, Naruto _is_ her friend….or is there something more to it? Hinata decided to forget about it. She's very hungry and she can't concentrate if she doesn't eat.

_I HATE THIS. HOW COME I HAVE, LIKE, THREE DETENTIONS AFTER SCHOOL? _

_Never mind that, doofus! You said you're hungry!_

_YEAH, but I'm soooooo frustrated to be hungry! Aren't YOU frustrated about it?_

Naruto is getting used to these little arguments going on in his head.

_Whatever. I just wanna eat ramen. I hope they have the tonkotsu miso ones._

Naruto walked into the ramen stall part of the canteen. "One extra large bowl of Tonkotsu Miso ramen, extra pork chops, please," Naruto ordered.

"Coming right up, Naruto!" the chef replied.

_Wait…..the chef knows my name? Somehow, his voice resembles…._

"Here ya go! Enjoy! And don't forget to come to Ichiraku after school!" the chef said with a wink.

"Hey! Mister Teuchi! You work in the canteen, too?" Naruto asked, surprised.

"Yeah! Now, I'll chat with you later. I got customers waiting!" he said, back to cooking.

"Okay! See you later!" Naruto grabbed his bowl and walked off. Outside of the canteen, he inhaled deeply. "Aaahh…..the smell of spring….now let's see…where should I sit..?"

Naruto was searching for a shady place under a giant tree to sit, until….

"Naruto! Sit with us!"

Naruto turned to see who called him. He grinned from ear to ear as soon as he discovers the _perfect_ place to enjoy his ramen. "Bushy brows! Hi!"

"Naruto, do you want to sit with us? I think your friends are already there," Lee invited him.

"You know it! Okay!"

Soon after they've all settled down, Naruto began enjoying his char-siew ramen while navigating his surroundings. There are quite a lot of boys he knows and some he doesn't. _There's me, Bushy Brows, Shikamaru, Chouji, Sasuke, Kiba, Neji, Shino, Sai, and two other guys that I don't know._

One of them has eyes similar to Hinata's, Naruto noticed. And the other one has hair similar to Kakashi-sensei. Just then, Ino, Sakura and her troop of girls came. With Ino and Sakura bickering, of course.

"Pig."

"Forehead."

"Whatever. Hey, can we join?" Yukiko asked, rolling her eyes. It's clear for Naruto that she's annoyed by the pointless argument.

"Sure, sure! The more, the merrier!" Lee replied happily. It's clear for Naruto that Lee wants to sit beside Sakura. Sooner or later he's gonna ask Sakura about it….

"Sakura, would you like to sit beside me?" Lee offered politely.

See? It's clear for Naruto that Sakura's gonna reject and sit beside Sasuke (whom she just knew for a few hours) and Ino's gonna sit beside Sai (whom she just knew for a few hours, too).

"Umm…thanks, Lee, but…no thanks," Sakura replied, as she strolled towards Sasuke and leaving poor Lee alone.

"Sasuke…..may I..," Sakura was about to ask to sit beside Sasuke, but…

"No," Sasuke answered curtly.

See?

"Oh…okay…..," Sakura walked towards Yukiko and sat beside her instead.

And Ino is already sitting beside Sai.

_Oh well, at least that broke the fight…Now, I can enjoy my ramen in peace and quiet…_, Naruto thought.

"Whale."

"Pervert."

"Dork."

"Jerk."

"Liar."

"Am not!"

"See? Liar."

"Playboy."

"Am not."

"See? Now you're lying."

Suddenly, two more bickering voices came from behind Naruto.

_Yeah, right. Hopeful thinking, Naruto. So much for peace and quiet._

Yet another voice came.

"You two. Stop it, you're disturbing other people."

The other two suddenly went silent. Hinata-eyed boy looked up, and smiled. "Okay, you three. Why don't you sit down," he said. _Wow…His voice sure is soothing…_Naruto thought. And then….

"Guys! Hey!" a new voice entered.

_WHAT NOW? WHEN AND HOW AM I GONNA FINISH MY RAMEN AT THIS RATE?_

Naruto is starting to lose his patience.

Lee looked up and grinned again. "Tenten!...and the new girl, right?"

"Duh? Aren't all girls new today?" Kiba replied.

Everybody is starting to get confused.

"Who's he?"

"Dunno. Never see him before."

"Pig."

"Forehead."

"Sis? Y-you okay..?"

"Why do you ask, Kiru-chan?"

"Whale."

"Playboy."

"Squirrel."

"Whatever. I'm outta this."

"….."

"Hmph."

"What a drag….can't they just shut up?"

"Munch munch….This is tasty!"

"Want some, Sai?"

"Thanks."  
"Hn."

"….."

It's getting very chaotic, that all students who is happening to be walking past them stared at them before continuing their walk.

_I-I...I must d-do s-something…anything…_

Hinata is stuck in the middle of a huge crowd of students that's fidgeting, quarrelling and bickering all at the same time.

"S…s-stop….," Hinata whispered, but it was barely heard. Only Higashi's head perked up and he gave her a quizzical look, as if to say, "Uhh….I don't think I heard you. LOUDER, please…"

So much for the understanding older brother….

_H-here g-goes…_

"S..s-stop, p-please…," Hinata tried again, but it was still too soft. But Higashi heard her, even from his distance. He smiled an encouragement smile. Sometimes, Higashi's hearing astonishes Hinata more than his vision.

"P-please STOP!"

Everyone stopped to look at her. Hinata can feel her cheeks getting hot. "Stop, please….,"she said more gently this time. "W-we can i-introduce oneself to th-the others…, can't w-we?"

Tenten grinned. "Of course we can, Hina-chan! I'll take it from here."

"Why don't senpai-tachi introduce yourselves first? To us, that is," Sakura requested.

"Yeah…and come to think of it, some of our senpai resembles some of you guys, and even our sensei!" Ino pointed to Hinata. Hinata gulped. She eyed Naruto carefully.

_W-what is h-he thinking right n-n-now?_

"Alright, I'll break the ice. I'm Takeshi Hatake. I am a grade 11 student. My hobbies are….uhh…I have a lot, but I like reading. And my future plan is…uh….I dunno," the older boy with grayish-white hair said.

"Wait, Hatake? As in, Kakashi Hatake? You mean you're related to Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto nearly spat out his ramen when Sakura said that.

"Well, yes. Brothers, obviously," he replied nonchalantly without looking up from his book.

"Well, yeah…I don't think he's lying….._Obviously_..," Sakura replied.

"Hajimemashite. It is very nice to meet you all. I'm Higashi Hyuuga," Higashi said. Now Naruto choked on his ramen. Hinata looked uncomfortable. "YOU're related to…..HER?" Naruto pointed at Hinata. "N-naruto….h-he is m-my older b-brother…," Hinata whispered softly. Naruto still couldn't believe it.

"Hi. I'm Noriko Tanaka, Kirumi's older sister. Douzo yoroshiku," the girl with shoulder-length light-turquoise colored hair said. Hinata herself couldn't believe it either. _H-how is th-this p-p-possible? Ki-kirumi has l-light pale-green r-ruffled chin length h-hair…..and her s-s-sister has bl-__**blue**__…_

"Nice to meet you. I'm Hayana Hanashi. And those two bickering are Tatsuka Yamaagari and Kurogane Mikazuki. They are both on the soccer team," a brunette with a low braided ponytail and a flower said.

"Okay, guess that's everyone…..HEY! The "new girl" Lee was talking about!" Kiba recalls, pointing at a younger girl beside Tenten. Tenten giggled and muttered under her breath, "Everyone's gonna be shocked to their deaths…..hehehe…"

The girl has long, tidy black hair pulled in a low ponytail. But her fringe is covering the right and left sides of her face, and covering her forehead, too. She has dark brown, sharp, mystical eyes. The girl cracked a smile that melted Hinata's heart. "Hajimemashite. Nice to meet you all, senpai-tachi. My name is Nakani Haruka, and I'm supposedly be in grade 9, but because of a certain cause, I am elevated to grade 11. Douzo yoroshiku onegai shimasu," Nakani said.

Everyone was silent except for Lee (who's smiling proudly because this genius is in his math team), Tenten (who's giggling non-stop because seeing the other's dumb-founded faces) and Neji (who seemed to have acquainted her).

The reasons are either :

a.) Her smartness

b.) Her calm nature; or

c.) Her soothing voice and pretty face.

"Whoa. You must be nastily smart…," Shino replied calmly.

Naruto finished the last drop of his ramen broth.

"Yes….I f-find it amazing th-that you can s-skip g-grades….," Hinata fidgeted.

"It's hard, but I'll survive," Nakani giggled.

Suddenly, Naruto stood up.

"Where are you going, Naruto?" Lee asked.

"Hmm? I'm finished eating, Bushy Brows. I'm gonna return the ramen bow-Gyaa!" Naruto didn't watch where he's going….he accidentally tripped on a small stone near the tree and-

ended up on Hinata's lap!

"Ahh…N-naruto…..," Hinata blushed really hard.

**So, that's all for chapter 2, folks!**

**How do you like it? **

**I know, the ending is sudden, eh?**

**But it's really cute, too…..I'd like to see Naruto and Hinata "innocent"-ly the victim of love…..hehehe…**

**Well, changes are gonna be made at chapter 3! How will these two fare?**

**Watch out for chapter 3: The Casualty of Love**

**COME ON !**

**REVIEW THIS CHAPTER OR I WON'T CONTINUE **

**PS: Tell me your insights on the new characters! Tell me who do you like most! OK, bye! **


	3. The Casualty of Love

**Author's words**: Chapter 3 is up everyone! It may be shorter than chapter 2, but at least the pair (NaruHina) is starting to 'open up' their feelings a little bit! (Although maybe not to each other…) But still, I hope you find it enjoyable and keep your hopes up for chapter 4!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

Allie711 proudly presents

**Hi no Kuni no Konohagakure Kougakkou**

**(Fire Country's Hidden Leaf Village's High School)**

Konoha High the series

_**Volume 1: A Piece of My Heart, Dedicated to You**_

Starring Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuuga

CHAPTER 3:

THE CASUALTY OF LOVE

"Ahh…N-naruto…..," Hinata whispered, cheeks flushing. Higashi winced and fidgeted, looking uncomfortable. Neji looked away with a grunt. Kirumi bit her lower lip. Tatsuka and Kurogane stopped bickering. Nakani and Tenten started to eat. All the others just stared, as if Naruto has grown two heads. "Ow ow ow ow ow…eh?" Naruto looked up, just realizing that everyone is staring at him.

_Yeesh…What's their problem? I mean, really, come on! I just tripped that's all!_

"What..? You guys never see someone trip before?" Naruto asked.

"Of course we have. We're just staring because you practically landed on Hinata's lap and now you're clinging to her waist," Sai said matter-of-factly.

"Huh?" Naruto turned to see Hinata's face.

_Oh man, this isn't good…she's blushing like crazy! This is bad…very bad…_

Sure enough, Naruto found himself on Hinata's lap and his hands are wrappedaround her waist. "W-wait, Hinata, guys…that wasn't my intention! I tripped accidentally…I'm not joking!" Naruto tried to explain, but to no avail. Almost everyone is still staring at him.

__

"Uhh….okay…well, I…uh…I got physics with Shizuka next, and I don't want to be late…so, see you!" Tenten broke the tension, pulling Nakani away from the situation. Nakani followed her obediently. "Wait, I will go with you! Bye, Naruto!" Lee said, nodding at Naruto. Neji's eyes meet Higashi's, he nodded, then went of to follow his competitive friend. "Yeah…come to think of it, we got math with Ibiki soon. Dudes, we better make a run for it or we're done for!" Kurogane said, trying to make an excuse. Tatsuka shrugged and followed Kurogane. "Race ya to math?" Kurogane offered Tatsuka. But before Tatsuka could answer, Hayana scolded him sternly with, "No running, please." Higashi followed his fellow group members, looking back to meet Hinata's eyes, and then turned almost instantly to follow them. Hinata gulped. She recognized that look. The look her brother gave her when they were still young and Hinata doodled all over his homework sheet. The look that says, "Hinata, a word with me at home, please." She might get in trouble for this when it isn't even her fault.

Noriko went off to class. Takeshi and Sai went off to the library for some peace and quiet. Shikamaru followed Chouji to the canteen.

"Hey, Hinata-chan! We'll catch you lateeerrr!" Ino said with a wink, and then scuttle of with her troop, except for Kirumi. Hinata gulped. That means later, Ino will want everything else in detail about this little mishap Hinata had. Only Shino, Kiba, Kirumi, Naruto and Hinata are left in the open now. And Naruto still haven't released his grip from Hinata's waist. "Uhh…Hinata,I think we'd better go to Jiraiya's Health and Physical Education class now…I know he's not really that strict, but I don't want to get in trouble on the first day, either," Kirumi said, and Hinata couldn't be more grateful. "Naruto, wake up, dude. Quit daydreaming. You said something about returning the bowl or something?" Kiba helped him up, and Naruto flashed Kiba a smile.

"Yeah! Wanna tag along, Kiba?"

"Sure." Kiba shrugged.

After they're gone, Kirumi helped Hinata up.

"Th-thank you," Hinata smiled.

"It's okay. Come on, Hinata, Shino, they'll catch up," Kirumi said, and with that the trio are off to Jiraiya's class.

__

"Hey, Kiba?" Naruto asked when walking towards Jiraiya's class after returning the ramen.

"Mmm?"

"Thanks."

"Yeah, no problem."

And as if on cue, the bell rang just when they reached Jiraiya's class.

_Looks like life is starting to be fair_, Naruto grinned.

And the good news is? Jiraiya hasn't even come to class yet.

Once inside class, Naruto sat down behind Hinata. Hinata started to get nervous. It's not like him to sit near the front. He always sat at the very back of the classroom in his previous classes. And it's also not like him to sit near her. She hopes everything is alright.

"Naruto is unusually quiet and passive, don't you think?" Sakura whispered to Ino.

"Yeah…poor guy. I wonder if it's because of the accident with Hinata before?" Ino replied.

"Yeah…I sure hope everything's alright between those two," Sakura sighed heavily.

Seeing that he still has time because Jiraiya hasn't entered the classroom yet, Naruto ripped a piece of paper from his notebook. And then he starts scribbling on it. While no one's looking, he folded the paper neatly (unlike his usual scrunched style) and tapped Hinata's shoulder.

__

Hinata felt like the end of world is nearing. She wanted to be as far away from school-and Naruto, too. Any time now, Naruto is going to tell her how he felt about her. How he _hated_ her.

But Hinata knew she couldn't reject and ignore him, even if she wished she could. Instead, she turned her head towards Naruto, and Naruto shoved a neatly folded piece of notebook paper to her. Hinata nodded her head politely, took the message, and turned back to read it. She doesn't want to read it-she felt horrible. Who knows what he felt. He could've hated her since the beginning of school. And it's only the first day! Her mind told her to just leave it unopened, but something in her heart-a feeling-is nagging her to open it. And strangely, her hands and fingers moved according to what her heart says, and not her mind.

She prepared herself for the worst. Her heart is beating faster and wilder than usual. If she didn't keep control of it, she would faint. Her cheeks are getting hot, she could feel it. She closed her eyelids, and _slowly_ opened the note with her delicate fingers.

_I-if only H-higa-nii-san is h-here…I c-could have been m-more br-braver…N-no! Y-you can d-do this, H-hinata…_

Hinata slowly opened her eyelids and read the three words Naruto scribbled with his trademark messy handwriting. She read it again to make sure she didn't miss any of the note. She read it again. And again. And again. With every repeat, she found herself smiling more.

_Oh…I'm s-so s-stupid…h-how can I a-assumed th-that he h-hates me..? _

With that, Hinata folded the note neatly and slipped it inside her textbook. Then Jiraiya came into class and apologized for being late. As the lesson starts with Jiraiya talking about physical education (of course), Hinata couldn't help herself but smile as she recalls the three words she that she feared so much could turn into the three words that made her hopes rise to befriend Naruto. Because, on the note was scribbled:

**I AM ****SORRY**

__

Naruto noticed the change in Hinata's facial expression from behind, and he himself couldn't help smiling, too. And they both could concentrate better with the boring topic Jiraiya is currently fired up explaining about.

The rest of the day was a breezy. Naruto caught Hinata smiling in each and every one of their classes. Her face showed a genuinely pleased and carefree expression, too. Knowing that she's happy, Naruto somehow felt happy, too.

_Wait a minute; does the incident before actually made us to be like this? Does that mean I liked that incident? Then…does that mean I like Hinata?_

"_Nah_, how can that be? We're just plain pals, that's all!" Naruto said carefreely while putting his books inside his locker and taking out some needed supplies. It's the end of the school days and the halls are filled with bustling students. But there's no sign of Hinata. "What "plain pals" are you talking about, loser?"

Naruto recognized the voice. Sometimes he hates it, and yet sometimes he likes it. "Ugh….Oh, hi, Sasuke," Naruto closed his locker and slings his bag over one shoulder. Today he's feeling neutral towards the voice. Sasuke _is_ his best friend (in like, ever), after all. "So, s'there basketball practice after school? I'm dying to show off my new skills," Naruto asked.

"Answer my question first. 'Plain pals'?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, so?" Naruto shrugged.

"You and who?"

"Duh, me and Hinata, who else?"

"You and Hinata…just plain pals? Or is there more to it?" Sasuke had an evil smile plastered on his face.

"What's more to it?" Naruto asked again.

"Nah, forget what I said," Sasuke looked away. "Besides, you're still clinging on to Sakura, right?" he looked Naruto square on the eyes in a flash. Naruto is dumb-founded.

"Arrgh….no matter how hard I tried, I can't seem to shake off my stupid crush!"

"Yeah, and that'swhat make you a loser, loser. Hey…you don't get detention today?" Sasuke asked suspiciously. Naruto slapped his forehead. "I FORGOT! Gee, Sasuke thanks for reminding me! Bye!" Naruto dashed off to the detention hall. Sasuke shook his head and sighed, "I thought so."

Naruto ran to the other side of the building.

"Keh…why is the detention hall so far from my locker anyway?" Naruto complained, panting from running. The halls are already clearing. Naruto took a left turn and…

"? Gyaa!"

__

Hinata jogged all the way to the car park.

_H-higashi-nnii-san i-is w-waiting for m-me…I must g-get th-there f-faster…_

Hinata took a right turn and…dodged just in time to avoid a running Naruto.

"?Gyaa!" Naruto cried, flailing his arms to maintain his balance. After successfully halting without bumping into someone else nor falling down, Naruto chirped, "Yo, Hinata! Going home?"

"Y-yes…," Hinata answered softly. _Th-think, Hinata…wh-what to s-say…_

"Umm…h-how about y-you?"

"Me? I'm off to detention! I hate that boring detention hall," Naruto shrugged.

"Oh…"

"Hey, it's a good thing I didn't bump to you again, even though I'm glad I can see you before detention! Your smile makes people feel happy, you know?" Naruto flashed her a smile.

Hinata could've sworn if she didn't maintain her balance, she would faint right there. But before she could say anything, Naruto looked at the clock and yelped, "Ack!I'm gonna be late for detention and if the damn dictator is Ibiki…Hinata, nice seeing you here, but I gotta dash! See ya later!"

And off he goes running again to the detention hall. Hinata was still fazed for some time, but after regaining her mobility, she, too ran all the way to the car park. Yes, no matter how good the day has turned out to be, both Hinata and Naruto reached their doom after, all. That is, after school.

__

Naruto practically burst in to the class.

_I..made…it…! I…I'm not…late?_

Naruto huffed and huffed. He scans the classroom. There's Kiba, Chouji, Shikamaru and Kurogane. Shikamaru is sleeping. Chouji is eating potato chips. "Hmm? Yo, Naruto! You're in detention, too? Alright!" Kiba whooped. "Hey! You're that spiky-haired blond kid that fell on the other gal's lap during lunch, right?" Kurogane pointed at Naruto.

"So! Tell me your name!"

"Uhh…Naruto Uzumaki…,"

"Naruto! Did some teacher walk on you during lunch and caught you hugging her? That's why you ended up in this stinkin' detention, am I right?" Kurogane made Naruto nervous.

"Uhhh…N-no, that's not it…I-I wasn't paying attention in class so I got three detention from Biology, Math and Chemistry,"

Kurogane pouted like a five-year old. "Oh, that's not fun,"

_Honestly, what is wrong with this senior? Guess I'm gonna have to get used to this type of senior…_

Suddenly, Kiba's nose twitched. "Hey guys…I think I smell someone coming…," he whispered.

Chouji wolfs down the last bit of his chips before shoving it inside his bag. Shikamaru instantly woke up and yawned. Kurogane and Naruto went back to their seats. "Who is it? The Number Cruncher?" Kurogane whispered back. "Number…Cruncher?" Naruto is confused. "That's what the grade 12 and 11 students call Ibiki," Kurogane shrugged. "I'm not sure…I can't possibly remember all of the teacher's odor all in the first day!" Kiba said, just in time for a door to fling open.

"What? Only six today? Jeez, that's not fun. Y'know, the kids of KH are getting more and more disciplined each day…Keh…I'm back to square one to transform KH into a bad kids' school and it's all because of kids like ya, ya losers!" a girl said fiercely, pointing to Naruto and Kiba. Naruto gulped.

_Whoa…she…she really sounds like a punk…_

Kurogane sighed a sigh of relief. "Haah…Raiyama…next time, don't surprise me like that!"

"Oh, good thing it's just you," Kiba said, completely relieved.

"What d'ya mean, it's just me?" the fierce girl strolled her way to Kiba. Chouji went back to eat. Shikamaru went back to sleep.

_W-wait…how come all of them are relieved when I'm t-trembling my way to the Edo period?_

"Hmm? Ah, you're one of Kiba's classmates, no?" she inspected Naruto's face closely. "Uhh…Y-yes, m-ma'am!" Naruto answered.

_What the heck? 'Yes ma'am'? Like, where did that come from? _

She laughed (it's surprising for Naruto to find that when she laughed, she laughed _not_ with a high-pitched, squealing laughter voice) and then turned her head to Kiba. "Hey, this one's ya'r pal? His antics are cute, this lil' pipsqueak sweetie here," she said. Naruto didn't dare to object that he despises people calling him "lil" or "pipsqueak" or "sweetie". Instead, he glued his mouth shut. "Him? Oh, yeah, that's Naruto Uzumaki. He's in my year, and well, I guess he can be funny sometimes," Kiba shrugged. "Naruto Uzumaki, huh? I think I've heard that name before," the girl tapped her pointing finger to her chin. "Don't worry, Naruto. She's my older cousin, currently in Kurogane-senpai's year. Her name's Raiyama Inuzuka. Oh, and don't be scared of her. People usually said she's scarier than my mom, and yeah, that's true. But she doesn't mean any harm, really. I know, she can be somewhat of a punk. But to be honest, she's just hyperactive and she just wanted some fun," Kiba explained nonchalantly. Naruto blinked twice. He can't believe that this punk is related to Kiba. But when he examined her facial appearances, he knew that Kiba wasn't lying. She had the same piercing black eyes, the same messy, ruffled dark brown hair (except hers is shoulder length and is tied back into a ponytail at the bottom of her head), teeth that resemble fangs, and she even has the same red tattoo on each cheek that Kiba has. (although her tattoo's shape is the upside-down version of Kiba's tattoo.)

She has long nails that resemble claws, painted black.

_Yeesh…she's freakin' scary…_

Suddenly, Raiyama sniffed the air and shrugged, then went to her seat at Naruto's right. (Kurogane is on Naruto's left.) As if on cue, the supervisor entered the detention hall. Naruto checked the clock. He's late 20 minutes.

_I knew it…_Naruto thought.

The supervisor checked the clock. "Okay, class. Sorry I'm late. I lost my way here," he said.

That's right, the supervisor this time is none other than…Kakashi Hatake.

__

Hinata finally reached the car park. She memorized where Higashi parked their car, so she could easily find her way there. But somehow, her feet are being extremely hard to control. So she walked all the way to the black BMW _slowly_. She could see Higashi and Neji already inside the car. She gulped, inhaled and exhaled slowly, and opened the car door. "S-sorry I'm l-late…," Hinata muttered. "It's alright," Higashi drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he waited patiently for Hinata to buckle up. After seeing that his sister is all set, he pulled off to the driveway. Halfway home, Higashi started to pick up a conversation. "Hinata…about…that blond boy who sat beside you at lunch today…Naruto, I believe is his name?" Hinata gulped. She almost never get any lectures, let alone from Higashi. She nodded yes. Higashi's face softened. "Hinata, I may not be 100% right, but…from your expressions and antics…I can tell hat you…like this boy?" even Hinata knew that Higashi is uncomfortable talking about this. Hinata fidgeted around. To be honest, she's shocked by Higashi's conclusion. But after she thought about it, actually her brother might be right. "I…I don't know, Higa-nii-san…I-I've never f-fallen in l-l-love before…," Hinata finally told him the truth.

"I know that. This must be your first, huh?"

Hinata nodded yes once again.

"I see…," Higashi's voice tender.

"B-brother…wh-what does it f-feels like to be in l-love?"

Higashi glanced at Neji, who seems to be listening to his iPod intently.

Higashi sighed.

"I'm sorry, Hinata. But to be honest, I myself had never experienced it before. All I know is that…love…is a wonderful thing. It's a special kind of feeling you get when you fell in love, or felt loved by somebody else. When you and Hanabi were born…although maybe I was still very young…I felt love. Mother and father are laughing softly, they seemed happy. You and Hanabi seemed happy, too. And that what makes me happy. You see, wherever there is love, I guess you can say you felt a tingling sensation deep inside your heart. You feel a warm aura, like a little torch burning inside. But if the one you love so much is gone…," Hinata noticed a sad glint in Higashi's pale lavender eyes. "…you…feel like that torch is gone…like suddenly blown by a wind. You feel cold inside. You feel…miserable. It's like you've been flying so high in the sky, and then you fell for this certain someone. You want him to catch you. But he didn't. And you fell lower than you've ever had," Higashi explained. Hinata suddenly felt sad, too. She knows that her brother is teaching her what it felt when their mother died a lot of years ago.

"But there's always someone else to catch you, Hinata. They're your friends and families. They'll always be there to watch your back. And if you fall, but nobody caught you, they will. You can trust them. And they will be the one who set you flying again, soaring higher than you've ever had. Sometimes, the one you fell for could actually fly with you. But to every story there's a different ending, no? We'll just wait and see what your love story will turn out," Higashi winked. Hinata was mesmerized by the explanation he had given to her, it was like a little poem to their long-lost mother. But she wanted to faint the moment Higashi reminds her that he's explaining this to her because she's the one who has this problem. "Ahaha…I guess I'm not explaining that very well, huh? I'm such a lousy and useless older brother…," Higashi mocked himself. But Hinata smiled instead.

"No, y-you aren't, nii-san," she disagrees. For Higashi is the best brother anyone could've wished for. She knows that. And with that, they return home listening to Fur Elise in the car radio.

__

It's 4.20. The clock is moving extremely slow today. All of the other students only had one detention, so all of them went home already. Except for Naruto and Raiyama. They each have 3 detentions. Ten more minutes before they can go home. Kakashi is reading the novel. He's not that strict, so he permits the students to do whatever they want during detention, as long as it's not against the rules and as long as the are not disturbing his reading.

Naruto fiddled with his cellphone. He doesn't know why. He doesn't have any missed calls, or texts or incoming calls. But yet he kept checking on them. Raiyama is listening to music in her iPod Nano. Suddenly, Raiyama tapped Naruto's shoulder. When Naruto turned to face Raiyama, he notices that she had finished listening to her iPod Nano.

"What's up, Raiyama?" over the past one hour, Naruto learnt that Raiyama is tame and actually quite friendly when people get to know her.

"Want some gum?" she offered Naruto a pack of orange-flavored bubble gum. Naruto's favorite.

"Thanks! You like orange?" he said, taking a piece, unwrapping the gum and popped it into his mouth.

Raiyama shook her head. "I like mint, but they're sold out," she shrugged.

"Oh…"

Chatting is also allowed as long as it's not noisy. Chewing gum is also permitted.

Naruto looked blank. He doesn't know what he is going to say next. One wrong word will earn you a swollen black eye from this girl. Instead, he was saved by Raiyama herself.

"So! Have any crushes yet? You know, the pink haired gal- Sakura, I believe- is quite popular. D'ya go after her, too?"

Naruto was stunned. He can feel his cheeks blushing.

_How on earth did she know? _Naruto screamed inside his head.

Raiyama pasted an evil smile. "Ha! Jackpot, huh?"

Naruto gulped. "N-no way! I ain't the type to fall on gals easily! Who needs a girlfriend when you can have your good buddies to fulfill your wish?" Naruto said a little too loud, which earned a "I have my eyes on you" look from Kakashi.

Naruto lowers his voice. "Yeah…sorry,"

"Forget about that. Wish? What d'ya mean?"

Naruto's face turned sad.

"You see, I don't have a family. I grow up and lived alone. I've never had real attention from anyone, except for Iruka-sensei and Pervy Sensei, of course, they're both my guardian. But ever since they started teaching, I've been alone again. It's like a nightmare all over again. So I decided I'm gonna change that. You see, my stupid antics, foolishness, everything…is only a way to make people notice me. I mean, I gotta be good at least at something, right? So I guess being the stupid class clown is it. All this time, I just wanted…someone, anyone to notice me. Tell me that I cheer them up. Tell me that I'm at least good at something. Acknowledge me. But something changed today. I've decided that…I want to win someone's attention…a certain someone…someone special for me…," Naruto said solemnly.

"I understand, Naruto. You and Kiba are the same. Kiba has been depressed ever since his mother and father are divorced. He only focuses his attention to Akamaru. He only focuses his attention to someone that's always there for him. And you said…a certain someone's attention?" Raiyama's voice is surprisingly soothing.

Naruto nodded.

"I think what you mean is win that person's heart. You're a casualty of love, too, Naruto. You've grown up. It's okay to be in love."

Naruto was surprised to hear that coming from Raiyama. He wanted to complain to her that he isn't in love, but now that he rethinks about it…he gave in.

"It's not her, right? There's somebody else more special to you, right?"

Naruto is confused? Not Sakura? Who else is there?

"What do you…,"

"You'll know when the time is right. Anyway, I can't tell you. It's already 4.30 and I want to go home now. Bye, Naruto! Bye, sensei!" And with one last smile, Raiyama strolled off.

Kakashi looked at the time. "Okay, you're dismissed now, Naruto."

And then he, too, strolled of the calss, eyes not off from the book he's reading. Naruto himself slings his bag over one shoulder and walked out of the classroom.

On the way home, Naruto can _finally_ walk like a normal high school student. He rethinks what Raiyama said. "I'm a casualty of love, huh…that means I'm in love? And I don't even know who I'm in love with…," Naruto knows it's strange, but he made up his mind to treat Raiyama like his big sister, the way he does with Iruka as his father, Jiraiya as his grandfather, and Sasuke as his brother. Naruto was smiling to himself when his phone rang, informing him that he had an incoming message.

_Stupid phone, why didn't you send me messages while I'm still in detention? _

When Naruto read the text, his smile got wider.

From : Sasuke

To : Naruto

Subject: (None)

Hey dobe r u comin 2 the 1st day party the Hyuuga's or what?

Party starts 7 PM.

Naruto punched the 'reply' button. And with that, he texted Sasuke back.

U bet

And he clicked 'send'.

__

**SO, how's this one? Better or worse?**

**I actually kinda like this chapter. It's cute…:)**

**And! I kept my promise about the "NaruHina's relationship progression" thingy!**

**OK, maybe a little touchy-touchy, but still, once in a while it's ok, right?**

**Oh I am SOOO looking forward the "party at the Hyuuga's". Wonder how will it turn out?**

**Well, stay tuned for chapter 4: First Day Party Galore**

**Reviews are open, everyone! Come on! Type your reviews! :)**


	4. First Day Party Galore

**Author's words**: Hi all! Sorry for the late update! There's something I want to share with you all. You see, I think this is going to be my last chapter until I can write again-that is, December. You know, school. My parents forbid me to do this during the school semesters. But don't worry, that doesn't mean that this story is over. I'll still continue writing it, but I just can't publish it until December. So please wait patiently until then. And, in order to make it up for you guys, I've decided that next time when I publish the next chapters in December, I'll make sure I publish a lot-hopefully until the next two or three _volumes_! Sorry! Okay, there are some mistakes that I would want to correct from the past few chapters. First things first, surely you all remembered Kiba's older cousin Raiyama Inuzuka? Scratch that. Since I wanted her to be a cat-user in her ninja stories mode, I decided to change her name into **Nekotsuchi Hanone**. That made more sense (Nekotsuchi = Cat land. Hanone = Fang). So she's now Kiba's older (faaaaaar) distant cousin. Still in his family, but far enough to change her partner into a cat instead of a dog. And remember the girl who's always quarreling with Kurogane, Tatsuka Yamaagari? I changed her clan's name from Yamaagari into **Kagayaki**. That has a nicer ring to it, right? Plus, how many "Yama" have you heard in Naruto? There's Yamanaka, Yamato, ugh! There's too much. And last but not least….

_**I would like to thank some people. Because of them, this story has made it to the fourth chapter. And hopefully, it will continue until the last chapter, and even until the last volume! Those special people are:**_

**K.999999999 (who gave me nice reviews to encourage me more)**

**oceanmoon (who gave me nice reviews to encourage me more, too)**

**animelover4343 (who gave a nice review even though it's just one word….but I still appreciate it. :D)**

**17child-of-the-moon17 (who always replied to my emails and PMs and gave me encouragement even though she's super busy)**

**Shadeehue (who happens to be the first person to inspire me to join FanFiction)**

**VenKit (who gave me the guts to never give up because he/she does too)**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

Allie711 proudly presents

**Hi no Kuni no Konohagakure Kougakkou**

**(Fire Country's Hidden Leaf Village's High School)**

Konoha High the series

_**Volume 1: A Piece of My Heart, Dedicated to You**_

Starring Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuuga

CHAPTER 4:

FIRST DAY PARTY GALORE

Hinata walked into the dining room. Sure enough, the catering has almost finished doing their work. She saw Higashi supervising their work. Instantly, her thoughts drifted back to Higashi's explanation of love on the way home.

_Am I…Am I r-really in l-love w-with N-naruto…?_

She knows that Higashi only told the truth. But somehow she can't take that lying down. To be honest, she doesn't even believe her brother that she is in love. Not that she doesn't want to, it's just…not right. The shy, gentle, docile little Hinata in love with the number one hyperactive, loud, knuckle-head Naruto? That's not right.

Hinata snaps back her attention when she heard her little sister calling for her.

"Hinata-nee-chan, what were you thinking? It's not like you to space off that easily," Hanabi pointed out. "Ah…y-yes, yes…sorry, H-hanabi…I-I was…thinking about…," Hinata stopped midway. She can't tell Hanabi about her little problem now. Not just yet, even though Higashi explained that "friends and family will help you out". But what is she going to say?

"About…?" Hanabi raised an eyebrow. Hinata gulped. "A-about…th-the p-party…a-and also about w-wh-what y-you th-think, Hanabi…,". Heavens, now where did that come from? Hinata can't help but feel a twinge of regret from telling a lie, let alone her own sister! Hanabi laughed softly.

"Of all things you can be worried about, you worry about _the_ party? Oh, come on, Hina-nee-chan, you practically do this _every year_. And it was always okay. Father even approved when he usually forbid us to make an occasion. And the party is _always_ in our house. Even after the party, it's still in one piece," Hanabi chuckled. "And as for me, I will survive. If I think I can't take it anymore, I'll just go and lock myself in my room," she continued. Hinata smiled, and then Hanabi strolled off. It's true; this is Hanabi's first time in their "First Day Party" tradition. Before that, Hanabi was always invited by her friends to sleepovers or other parties in her elementary school. But this year, with their father still overseas, Hanabi couldn't attend any of her parties or sleepovers. Hinata wondered if that's the reason why she's so quiet when they picked her up from school (right after Higashi explained things, too) today.

Hinata spun her head just in time to see the caterer manager pass Higashi the check. She herself had insisted on coming to help out. Hinata doesn't know why, but when Higashi finished checking and gave it back to her, her eyelashes fluttered and she said in a voice that Hinata found slightly disgusting, "Oookaaayyy…Anything eeeelllse?". "Hah, look at her. Fangirls are disgusting, really," Neji said in a low voice suddenly. Quite low enough, but Hinata could still hear him. And then it hit her: so the manager likes Higashi. She bit her lower lip to prevent herself from laughing at that thought. While some girls became Neji's fan because of his appearance, other girls became Higashi's fan because of his kindness and gentleness. And this manager is the one that goes with the second one, Hinata assumed. After saying an-eyelash-batting-like-insane goodbye (and after giving Higashi her cellphone number), she and her group went away.

Higashi closes the door, turns to his siblings; and sighs heavily. "Sometimes I wish I could be a little braver to reject these offers…something like Neji," Higashi said, shaking his head. "Hn," was all Neji said as he went to his room and closed the door. What else will you expect as an answer from him? But Hinata secretly wishes that Higashi would _**not**_ ever do that. It's bad enough that's she's terrified of Neji, even though she knows that he's already being nice enough to her. But if Higashi decided to be like Neji…who's going to comfort Hinata? Who's going to help her get through her problems?

Hinata didn't realize that Higashi had been calling her until Hanabi poked her. "H-huh? Y-yes, H-hanabi-chan?" Hinata turned to her sister. "Uhh…I think Higashi-nii-san wants to talk to you…," Hanabi answered before pouring a glass of water for herself. Hinata instantly turned to look at her older brother. "Good to see you back to earth, Hinata," Higashi chuckled, folding the piece of paper that contains the catering team's manager's cellphone number neatly before dropping it in the trash can. "Ouch, Higa-nii-san. I guess that means we are hiring a different catering team next year, am I not right?" Hanabi mocked playfully, rolling her eyes. Higashi rolled his eyes, shook his head and smiled in response. "As I was saying, I think you would like to take your shower now, considering the time you have left, Hinata-chan?" he glanced at the clock which was now showing 6:35.

"Nee-chan, you'd better hurry up. You got only 25 more minutes before the party starts. You, too, Higa-nii-san," Hanabi remarks. Higashi nodded, and then went to his room. Making sure she saw the clock right, Hinata nodded to Hanabi and then hustled back to her room.

"Good thing there's no dress code in this party. I won't be showing up if it does," Naruto was talking to himself as he combed his unruly hair. He's in a very good mood because he managed to complete his homework during detention. And now, he can just enjoy this night to his fullest. And he also managed to change his underwear, brush his teeth, take a nice long cold shower, wash his hair, and even managed to choose a decent apparel to wear. He had his favorite black polo T-shirt with a swirl red circle at the back of the shirt. He's wearing a pair of dark denim jeans in the shade of black. He zipped up his favorite orange-and-black jacket with the same red pattern at the back until it reached his collarbone. He let out his polo shirt's collar over his jacket. He also unbuttoned the first button of the shirt. He looked at himself in the mirror. He looked like himself, and yet he looked neat. Naruto smiled.

And then suddenly, Naruto heard a car honk. He peeked through his window. A silver SUV is waiting in front of the apartment porch. "Hey, loser! I know you're there. What are you doing? Hurry up or we'll leave you," a male voice from the SUV said. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Be patient, Sasuke. Geez," Naruto rolled his eyes and grabbed his cellphone from his bed. He took one more glance at his mirror and then bolted out of his room. He locked the door and shoved his room key along with his cellphone into his jeans' pocket. And then he dashed downstairs.

"My, my, lad. Slow down. Where on earth are you kids going this late?" a nice old lady asked Naruto. Naruto knew her as Makiko-san. She lived in the second floor, a floor below Naruto's room. She always gave Naruto extra food or money and Naruto usually chat with her whenever he had time. "Oh, we're going to a friend's house. Sorry, Makiko-san, but I'll talk to you some other time, okay?" Naruto said, turning his head, nodding, turned his head back, and then dashed at top speed. Makiko clucked her tongue. "Kids these days…they're always in a hurry. Oh well," she said, and went back knitting on her rocking chair.

"Whew! Hey, guys!" Naruto waved his hand as Chouji opened the door for him. "You're late, dobe," Sasuke remarked. "Oh come on, Sasuke. You just have to ruin my mood, huh?" Naruto crossed his arms. "Man, you're troublesome," Shikamaru eyed Naruto's apparel. "Munch munch..yeah…I..munch munch..thought there..munch gulp…weren't any…munch munch…dress code…munch gulp," Chouji said while gobbling his food. "Swallow," Shino instructed. Chouji did as he said. "Now talk," Shino said, and Chouji repeated his words, shrugging. "I thought there weren't any dress code, Naruto," he said, and then went back eating. "What, does this look like a tux to you guys? Come on, these are my fave clothes! I wore them all the time!" Naruto complained, clearly annoyed. "Hey, take it easy. We were just making fun of you. Don't be such a drag," Shikamaru yawned. "And one more thing. I never knew Sasuke could drive. I mean, he doesn't have a license. Why don't you let me drive instead," Naruto pointed out. "Yes I do, doofus. Look closer, you blind or something? And for your own information, you're the one who doesn't have a driving license. And the last time you drove, you almost killed us all," Sasuke was clearly annoyed by all of the background noises. Naruto decided to give up tormenting Sasuke. "Fine. But that's just my style of driving. You know, Naruto's fast and furious and stuff…Hey, by the way, where's Kiba?" he asked after scanning the crowd. There's Sasuke, Shikamaru, Chouji, Shino and himself. No Kiba. "Kiba will be going with his distant cousin Hanone," Shino replied. "Oh…okay," Naruto felt that maybe Kiba is necessary at times like this.

But before he could find another topic, he saw a huge mansion full of lights and people in front of the car. He could hear loud music blaring even from inside the car. "Whoa…did you see that?" he pointed towards the mansion. But apparently, Chouji saw something else. "Yes, and I see LOTS of FOOD! I'm hungry!" he said, drooling. "Chouji, quit drooling at my car," Sasuke sighed, he seemed tired having to deal with all of the idiots he carried along with him. "Oh, and Naruto, get out of here. I need to lock my car," Sasuke jammed his hands into his pocket. Naruto looked dumb-founded. "What? Why?"

"Just get out, loser, or I'll lock you in," Sasuke threatened him. Naruto obediently got out as Sasuke rolled his eyes and locked the car. "Okay! If anyone wants to find me, I'll be by the buffet corner, where the yakiniku is served!" Chouji said, and with that, he ran off screaming, "FOOOOOOODDD!" and gaining lots of glares from other people. Shikamaru yawned and rolled his eyes. "Guess that means I better follow him. What a drag," he said, and disappeared into the thick crowd. Shino vanished while Naruto wasn't looking. Now it's just him and Sasuke. "Go on, loser. What are you waiting for?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Uhh…y'know, we're gonna be late for the party if you don't call them back to the car," Naruto mumbled. Sasuke sighed again. "Look, you dobe. This _**is**_ the party," Sasuke rolled his eyes as Naruto widens his.

_Woah….the Hyuuga's sure are rich… _

Naruto gawked at the mansion. It's luxurious, mystical textures made it looked prestigious with its blue and white basic colors. It is well kept and twinkled below the moonlight. Of course, the lighting, music, food and people made it look friendlier to Naruto. He smiled to himself and nodded his head. "Let's go in, Sasuke," he said as Sasuke rolled his eyes (again) and smirked. "Finally," he muttered as they entered the grand building.

Hinata finished her shower just in time for the party. She put on her black long-sleeved collar-less shirt, dark blue denim miniskirt that and a pale lavender-and-white colored jacket over her shirt, zipping it up until it reaches her collarbone. Hinata smoothened her indigo-midnight bluish hair and made sure she looked appropriate. She also made sure that her skirt isn't too short. After checking her view one more time, she stepped out of her room to join the crowd. Her friends greeted her as they grabbed their drinks and sat down at the front garden to chat.

"Yo, Naruto!" Naruto spun his head to look who was calling him. "Kiba!" Naruto smiled and waved. "And Hanone, too!" Naruto waved again as Kiba's older cousin spun and smiled at Naruto. "Hey, Naruto! You look good!" Hanone eyed Naruto's clothing. "I like the swirly pattern on your jacket," she added. "Thanks!" Naruto grinned. "You know, Hanone, he always wears clothes that have this pattern wherever he went. That's plain strange," Kiba smirked, trying to irk Naruto. "Yeah? Well Sasuke had _his_ strange logo too," Naruto retorted back. "Okay, wait a sec, there. Hey, Naruto, can I ask you for help?" Hanone broke the two up. "Uhh…sure…I guess," Naruto looked blank. "Good. I want you to go and give Hinata this. She lent me her hairclip the other day and I wanted to return this to her. Tell her thanks while you're at it, too. She's at the garden right now," Hanone glanced ferociously at Kiba, as if to say, _"Shut up or you're dead!"._ Kiba stayed quiet.

"Thanks, Naruto! Okay, we're gonna go get some food now, so bye!" Hanone said, not waiting for Naruto's response, then she and Kiba disappeared into the crowd. Kiba understood what his cousin wanted to do. She wants to put Naruto and Hinata together. He smirked. _This is gonna be fun_, he thought. Naruto got no other choice. He sighed, and then fought his way to the garden.

"Where are you going, Hina-chan?" Kirumi asked as Hinata stood up. "Oh…I-I'm going to refill my tea…i-is that okay?" Hinata found herself stammering less when she's alone with her friends. "Of course it's okay! Now shoo! Go and get your tea! If you don't come back in under a minute, I'm gonna drag you back here, so don't worry!" Ino winked at Hinata as they all laughed. "Don't worry. I'll c-come back shortly," she said and turned to walk towards the tea section.

"Gah! Where is she? Come on…," Naruto talked to himself. Suddenly, he saw a certain person with familiar pink hair. "S-Sa-Sakura…?" Naruto asked himself, disbelieving what he saw. _She's so…pretty…Man, I guess I do like her after all…_

But almost instantly, Naruto's eyes caught sight of another person. Her straight indigo-midnight bluish hair sashayed as she walked. She has delicate, creamy white skin that looks so smooth and gave her an unearthly glow under the moonlight. Her legs are shapely and good-looking, too. Naruto stared at her face contours. She has smooth angles, and has the most silvery pale lavender-tinted eyes that glitter under the moonlight. She looks so elegant, almost as if she's a princess from the fairy tales that comes to life. Naruto was completely mesmerized by her face until he noticed that her eyes are also looking straight at him.

And then it hit him.

"H-Hi-Hinata…?" he gulped.

**So, how was that? I know, it's way shorter, and it's not that good, so you can throw rotten eggs or tomatoes or whatever you have with you. BUT! Before that….. **

**In case you didn't read the author's note above, I'll repeat what I have to say:**

**You see, I think this is going to be my last chapter until I can write again-that is, December. You know, school. My parents forbid me to do this during the school semesters. But don't worry, that doesn't mean that this story is over. I'll still continue writing it, but I just can't publish it until December. So please wait patiently until then. And, in order to make it up for you guys, I've decided that next time when I publish the next chapters in December, I'll make sure I publish a lot-hopefully until the next two or three **_**volumes**_**! Sorry!**

**And if you're still wondering who in heaven is Hanone, I'll repeat that, too:**

**Surely you all remembered Kiba's older cousin Raiyama Inuzuka? Scratch that. Since I wanted her to be a cat-user in her ninja stories mode, I decided to change her name into ****Nekotsuchi Hanone****. That made more sense (Nekotsuchi = Cat land. Hanone = Fang). So she's now Kiba's older (faaaaaar) distant cousin. Still in his family, but far enough to change her partner into a cat instead of a dog. And remember the girl who's always quarreling with Kurogane, Tatsuka Yamaagari? I changed her clan's name from Yamaagari into ****Kagayaki****. That has a nicer ring to it, right? Plus, how many "Yama" have you heard in Naruto? There's Yamanaka, Yamato, ugh! There's too much!**

**And reviews, please! I know I won't reply to them until December, but come on, guys! Surprise me once in a while! Your reviews are always welcome!**

**And now, you can start throwing rotten tomatoes or eggs or whatever you brought along with you to me. (Grabs speech text and runs off stage) **


End file.
